How Cloud Servers are Keeping the Internet Running During the Pandemic

Working from home often means three annoyances for many people: working while eating, getting interrupted by family members, and slow internet.

Now, the first two can’t really be helped, especially if your workstation is also the dining table, and your coworkers in your home are small children. The third annoyance, however, is out of your hands, for better or worse; there’s not much to be done about it, unless you could offload entire files and programs onto a floating hosting service.

Wait, you can do that!

In today’s article, Logicbase Interactive tackles cloud computing, and how it’s making things easier for telecommuters during the ongoing COVID-19 viral outbreak.

WHAT IS THE CLOUD?

If you’ve used Google Drive or Apple’s iCloud services, you’ll have had a passing familiarity with cloud computing. In essence, cloud computing is a self-maintaining internet service that allows users to upload and download files on a shared server that’s always accessible, provided you have the log-in credentials or authentication and internet connection needed to access it.

Cloud servers are quickly becoming the de facto storage for many people. Because hardware like portable external hard drives have the risk of being lost or stolen, cloud servers are providing an alternative file hosting option for a variety of file types, from documents, photos, and videos, to more technical files like medical records, image processing, and audio master files.

Cloud servers are also helping social media platforms keep running smoothly, as cloud servers take on the day-to-day brunt of internet traffic so that on-site servers can focus on core processing without interference.

PROS AND CONS OF THE CLOUD

By providing a 24-hour hosting service, cloud servers have made working on the go so much easier. People can now work collaboratively no matter where they are – from the comfort of one’s home to coffee shops at airports, the digital mobility provided by cloud servers has made working remotely a breeze. Because cloud hosting services are also scalable, it means files can be accessed, within reason, on various types of devices; a person can work on an excel sheet from their phones, granted a stable wi-fi connection and a mobile phone with RAM to spare.

Cloud hosting has its pitfalls, though. One of the biggest concerns is security. On the whole, cloud hosting and computing are secure; you need to have authorization credentials to access the cloud network, and you can’t just take it down easily when it’s hosted globally, with several physical servers in different locations ready to pick up the slack.

They’re vulnerable to hacks, however, and log-in credentials to a cloud network falling in the hands of the wrong person can result in server-wide data corruption or theft. Thankfully, many cloud hosting services have two-factor authentication these days, so the risks of such situations have been greatly minimized. Users should still be vigilant, however, when it comes to their log-in credentials, and report any suspected breach of their accounts immediately.

IN SUMMARY

While cloud servers still have a long way to go to become completely secure data hosts, they’re plenty safe at the moment, and they provide an invaluable service to many workforces that are currently working from home. Cloud hosts allow users to access files easily, without having to rely on physical handoffs of documents, which is a critical point for working during self-isolation. 

We’re bound to see more workplaces making the shift from pen-and-paper documents to digitized documents as well, as telecommuting reveals the benefits of shared file hosting can provide to a business.

So rest easy, fellow telecommuter: your work is safe, even if you end up spilling coffee while working. The cloud has you covered.